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C: OER in the Context of Openness

It can be argued that OER is a subset of a wider concept, open education. Some argue that OER’s true potential is improving access to education by making the content relatively inexpensive. Also, it is possible that open courseware is made up of individual OER assets, although this is not always the case. In these instances, OER are the individual building blocks to unlock better access to education. To better understand OER’s relationship with ‘openness’, watch this video.

In January 2017, the Open Education Consortium (OEC) announced the launch of the Year of Open to celebrate the positive impacts that open practices have brought to education, government, research and business. In education, the Year of Open marks significant milestones for the Open Education Movement worldwide, including:

15 years ago, the term ‘Open Educational Resources’ was created, the Budapest Open Access Initiative was launched, and the first Creative Commons licences were released.

Five years ago, the first Open Education Week took place and the first OER World Congress was held, resulting in the Paris OER Declaration.

‘The Year of Open is a global focus on open processes, systems, and tools, created through collaborative approaches, that enhance our education, businesses, governments, and organizations. At its core, open is a mindset about the way we should meet collective needs and address challenges.’ Further information on the Year of Open intentions is shared in the video.